...out some of your confusions regarding to high fructose corn syrup vs. table sugar with my so called highly scientifically literate brain. The high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was introduced in 1957 by scientists in a short report. According to the article Sweet Confusion (Beil 2014), two chemists Richard Marshall and Earl Kooi found out a way to rearrange the components of glucose from corn, and discovered a fluid like sweeter sweetener. Because HFCS has better solubility, high applicability, and most importantly high...
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...High Fructose Corn Syrup: The New Scapegoat to Obesity Recently, the majority of the United States population has been increasingly concerned with the affect of the controversial issue surrounding high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in their diet. Today, about 55 percent of Americans list the infamous sweetener among their food-safety worries, right behind mad cow disease and mercury in seafood, according to the consumer research firm NPD Group (Parker-Pope, 2010). It has caused a major stir in the media, nutritionist and dietitians, food manufacturers, corn refiners and above all, consumers. As a result, there have been opposing conclusions amongst researchers. Of course, there are always two sides of the story. Hence, researchers have conducted numerous and time-consuming lab experiments on rats and human subjects alike to contradict each other’s studies and conclusions. It is a matter of which side to believe and how reliable the information presented. For starter, research claims that HFCS is linked to obesity. However, on the other side of the spectrum, researchers claim that HFCS is nothing less than a table sugar in a liquid form and it actually provides many benefits to processed foods. Although they are in strong opposition, both seem to agree on one thing: Consumption of HFCS moderately may reduce obesity. In doing my research, I learned that high fructose corn syrup is not as dreadful as many inadequately informed consumers make it out to be. The key to...
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...High Fructose Corn Syrup Terry Johnson Devry University 9/11/2014 HFCS was first introduced by Richard O. Marshall and Earl R. Kooi in 1957. They were, however, unsuccessful in making it viable for mass production, primarily because the glucose-isomerizing activity they discovered required arsenate, which was highly toxic to humans. An industrially feasible glucose isomerase, which did not require arsenate ion for its catalytic activity, was first discovered by Dr. Kei Yamanaka, Kagawa University, Japan, in 1961. The industrial production process was refined by Dr. Yoshiyuki Takasaki ay the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology of Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan in 1965-1970. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a fructose/glucose liquid sweetener substitute for sucrose common table sugar, first introduced to the food and beverage industry in the 1970s. There is not much different in the composition or metabolism of other fructose/glucose sweeteners like sucrose (sugar), honey, and concentrated fruit juices. HFCS was broadly accepted by food designers, its use grew between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s as an alternative for sugar. HFCS instantly proved itself as an alternative to sugar in liquid applications because of its salability in acidic foods and beverages. HFCS it is syrup, and can be pumped from delivery vehicles to storage and mixing tanks, requiring only simple dilution before use. This ingredient derived from corn a dependable, renewable...
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...High Fructose corn syrup in the US and UK High fructose corn syrup, also known as Fructose-Glucose syrup, is a liquid sweetener that was created to act as a substitute for regular sugar in the 1950s, and is now used in almost all processed foods in the United States, and to a lesser degree, the United Kingdom. Since its creation, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been used extensively not only in these two countries, but also around the world. It is an ingredient in almost every single mass-produced beverage and food product, however its extensive use has sparked a lot of controversy regarding HFCS and its possible obesity-causing effects, as well as issues of sustainability and agriculture. High fructose corn syrup was so quickly embraced by food producers due to its sweetness comparable to that of sucrose (regular table sugar), its stability, and ease of application. Another part of HFCS’s appeal was that sugar cane was originally grown in places that were both politically and environmentally unstable, and so any fluctuation in either of those factors meant a variation in the worldwide price of sugar. In 1977 the United States imposed a system of sugar tariffs and quotas which significantly raised the price of imported sugar, so producers sought a cheaper alternative, and high fructose corn syrup was the answer. Initial shipments to the United States food industry started in the late 1960s and since then there have been many advancements in its production which have led...
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...High Fructose Corn Syrup High Fructose Corn Syrup is often used as a sugar replacement. This is because in the US it is cheaper from a combination of Corn subsidies and sugar taxes, also because HFCS is transported as a liquid as opposed to sugar, which is a solid. Even though there are multiple steps that require expensive enzymes, the HFCS is still less expensive than the alternative. The lower cost means food producers are able to produce their food and drinks for cheaper and also earn more profit on the goods they sell. The process to develop HFCS was discovered in the 1970’s. Its popularity in America rose quickly; its use saw an increase from 3 million tons in 1980 to 8 million tons in 1995. HFCS use surpassed the use of sugar in the late 90’s and continues today to be more widely used. More HFCS is consumed than sugar by Americans. The process is more difficult than the process to get sugar from sugar cane or beets. There are multiple steps involved including three enzymes needed to break down the complex glucose molecules of the cornstarch to the simple glucose and fructose sugars. Each enzyme breaks down the molecule to smaller pieces, until the manufacturer ends up with 40% fructose and 50 to 52% glucose. Other sugar molecules are also still in the mixture. The final two steps result in the 55% fructose mixture that the industry requires. A 90% mix of fructose is poured back in to the original mixture of glucose and fructose. There are...
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...High fructose corn syrup In the past decades heath related problems have increased drastically. This can be seen in people of all ages. It is not a secret that our food has been changed a lot. Due to the changes of ingredients of our food that we consume every day many people started to have serious health problems related to health. One of the very famous dietary ingredients known to everyone is high fructose corn syrup. First it was made and introduced in United States in late 1950s, but it was not perfected. A decade later Japan have improved and started using it for mass production. HFCS was added to processed foods and soft drinks as a sugar substitute. Advantage of this new food additive was a much easier production and a low price. Right after Japan, USA started using it too; however, no one new its affects on the human body. Since USA started to add HFCS to manufactured food and soft drinks, the rates of obesity, heart diseases and metabolism problems has grown. Since we started to use HFCS in our manufactured food our obesity rates have been increased among the all ages of USA residents. According to Centers for Desease Control and Prevention (CDC), “During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. By state, obesity prevalence ranged from 21.0% in Colorado to 34.0% in Mississippi in 2010. No state had...
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...of the Missing Bees: High Fructose Corn Syrup and Colony Collapse Disorder by Jeffri C. Bohlscheid, School of Food Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID Frank J. Dinan, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Canisius College, Buffalo, NY Part I – Changes in the Lives of Bees Almond butter is a delicious, upscale alternative to peanut butter and we love it. But its price has increased nearly three-fold over the last two years while that of peanut butter has changed very little. The reason for this is surprising: almonds are much more dependent on honeybees for pollination than are peanuts. The California almond crop, by far the world’s largest, used an unbelievable 40 billion honeybees to pollinate it in 2005 and about a third of that number of bees is no longer available (Benjamin and McCallum, 2009). Since 2007, nearly a third of the honeybees in North America, Europe, and South America have died for unknown reasons. How important is this to our lives? A U.S. Department of Agriculture/Cornell University study estimates that honeybees pollinate nearly a third of everything that we eat (beeculture.com, 2000). If these bees disappear, fruits, vegetables, and nuts will go with them, meat production will severely decline, and we will be in very bad shape, indeed. Two significant changes have occurred in the world of honeybees in the United States since the mid1970s: (1) there has been a steady increase in the amount of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumed by honeybees...
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...High Fructose Corn Syrup How do we change what we eat? When most of our food contains traces of high fructose corn syrup, it seems like we are forced to eat this way, while these food companies continue to profit on our health. Majority of our people are unable to afford health insurance because it’s seems like the same people don’t want the Americans to be healthy. The food companies heavily markets to individuals who have low income and lack of knowledge. Therefore majority of our unhealthy population are the ones who are in the poverty level. Many people think that just because it’s inexpensive, it does not mean it’s good for you. High Fructose Corn Syrup is an “artificial” sweetener. By definition it means; made by human skills. High fructose corn syrup was developed in the 1960’s and began being incorporated into the things we drink and slowly but surely replaced the natural sugar. Since it was produce much cheaper than sugar that derived from cane and beets, the wonderful government began subsiding the corn companies. According to the NPD Group, a market research firm, more than half of all Americans are concerned that high fructose corn syrup. “High-fructose corn syrup makes up about 50% of the sweeteners used in the USA but worldwide it's only about 10%”. Every day we eat. We eat home cooked meals or fast food rarely thinking about what’s going into our bodies. Most of the time one of the first ingredients listed on a can of soda or canned fruit is some form of HFCS...
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...Term Loyalty Pepsi: High Fructose Corn Syrup Controversy Week 4 Assignment CR-504-LA01-14FAMBA Marketing Management 9/15/2014 Matt Reynolds - Ellyn Weston - Jill Butterweck 1 Company Profile Pepsi • • • “We are a leading global food and beverage company with brands that are respected household names throughout the world.” “At PepsiCo, we believe being a responsible corporate citizen is not only the right thing to do, but the right thing to do for our business.” Mission: To lead in convenient food and beverages, serve our investors and employees with opportunities for growth. Pepsi values honesty, fairness and integrity. Vision: Achieve success with positive imprint on society with performance and purpose. Drive shareholder value. Address social and environmental issues. Empower people, build trust, grow and get things done. – – – – – – Care for our customers, our consumers and the world we live in. Sell only products we can be proud of Speak with truth and candor Win with diversity and inclusion Balance short term and long term. Respect others and succeed together. • • 9/15/2014 Matt Reynolds - Ellyn Weston - Jill Butterweck 2 What Are the Customers Saying? HFCS gives soda a bad taste – “Not what it used to be.” (popular) Skeptical of how “natural” HFCS really is. Increasing push to make sugar the dominant sweetener in Soda. Real sugar is better for the body and digestion Amazon.com Reviewers of Pepsi Throwback HFCS is an industrial product...
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...High Fructose Corn Syrup and Childhood Obesity University High Fructose Corn Syrup and Childhood Obesity Introduction High consumption of fructose such as corn syrup is uniquelya predictive factor of obesity among children. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), the obesity rate among all children and adolescent aged 2-19 years old is approximately 17% or 12.5 million. Obesity, which is a multifactorial health problem, is one of the greatest concerns of country; our attitude and habit on food consumption are clearly part of this predicament (Bray, 2007). High-fructose corn syrup has widely used in many foods and beverages as an alternative liquid sweetener. It was used as a replacement for sucrose which is derived from sugar cane or sugar beets. The popularity of high-fructose corn syrupis due to some technological problem in certain application of sucrose. The technological issues of sucrose were hydrolysis in acidic system; it alters the sweetness and flavour characteristics of a product; and the need to dissolve its granules in water prior being used in many applications. There were also political and climatic instability of sugar cane since it is traditionally grown in equatorial regions. This resulted to fluctuation on the availability and price of sugar (White, 2008). Uses and Benefits of High-fructose Corn Syrup The wide availability of high-fructose corn syrup is evident in most of our foods and beverages. The beverages...
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...would continue to receive a subsidy check (para. 3). Bottom line is all these billions of dollars in government subsidies contribute to lowering the cost of processed foods; not a good occurrence if you have low-income and cannot afford the high cost of healthier foods. The processed foods are so cheap to buy and are the unhealthiest that can be consumed by any human being. They are high-density, high-calorie, high-fat junk food that the unfortunate and less-advantaged part of our society has no choice but to buy because it is all they can afford. Studies show a strong connection between poverty and obesity, the government should appoint a task force to regulate and limit or repeal farm subsidies and overproduction of certain agriculture commodities like corn that is used to create highly processed, cheaply priced, high-calorie, high-density “junk foods”, so that prices of natural whole foods can once again be competitive and give the low-income consumers healthier food choices, thus contributing to the reduction of obesity. The U.S. budget for government financial subsidies to U.S. farmers is too substantial and needs to be cut back so farmers can’t overproduce commodities like corn, wheat, soy beans to name a few, but especially corn. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) distributes anywhere from $10 billion to $30 billion in farm subsidies” (Edwards, 2009, para. 1). In addition to direct cash subsidies, “the USDA also subsidizes the following: crop insurance,...
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...The Chemistry Behind Diet Soda The Chemistry Behind Diet Soda Everyone who knows me knows that my favorite soft drink is Dr. Pepper. There was a time when I drank Dr. Pepper with all my meals, I also realized during that time that I was feeling heavier than before, and I gained weight as well; I needed to make a change. I did what a lot of people in America do while trying to give up soda, I gave up the regular Dr. Pepper and switch to the Diet Dr. Pepper mainly because it contained zero calories. When I tried it I hated it, it tasted so fake and was not something I wanted to taste ever again. So I wanted to know, what’s really inside the diet sodas? How does drinking diet soda really affect me and society? Does diet sodas benefit or harms this society that is overwhelmed with artificially sweetened beverages? In this essay I will be talking about the chemistry of diet sodas and the effect it has on the body. In a culture that is overwhelmed with consuming soda, when trying to lose weight, the easiest way people try to stop drinking soda is switching to diet soda. For example, one can of non diet Coke contains one hundred and fifty calories per twelve fluid ounces, whereas a can of Diet Coke has zero calories per twelve fluid ounces. It sounds convenient to make the switch because of the difference in calories, on the other hand is switching to diet soda really as helpful as it sounds? Some studies have shown that diet soda is not a beneficial source f0r wanting to...
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...problems of the over usage of high fructose corn syrup. Introduction Today, it is inevitable to face negative effects of high fructose corn syrup because high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has replaced cane and beet sugar in processed foods and soft drinks over the past 25 years. When you read the food labels in your kitchen you’ll find that we now consume HFCS in all kinds of processed foods, not just desserts and drinks also in breads, cereals, ketchup and yogurt so you will easily realize that you associate with the devil by consuming devil’s candy. However, despite the alarming damages of HFCS there is a huge demand for HFCS by firms and governments. Profit concerns and governmental issues are the major reasons behind demand but also there are some problems related to consumers. In this proposal it is intended to investigate the problems behind the over usage of HFCS and offer solutions against that danger, select the criteria to evaluate the applicability and efficiency of the proposed solutions and finally introduce the research methodology constituted the basis of my further research. Problem Definition There are some problems caused by people, firms and governments lead us to over use HFCS. The followings are the most crucial problems behind this issue; I. Ignorance People don’t know the difference between corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. They think they are same but they are not. Corn syrup is mainly glucose produced from corn starch. There is no naturally...
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...Benefit of High-Fructose Corn Syrup Soft drinks, salad dressing, breads, fruits and vegetables, and many processed snacks what is the common dominator for the following popular American food items? They’re all foods that contain a sizeable amount of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)! HFCS is syrup from cornstarch that’s turned into Americas most popular and cheap sweetener for many food products. Starting a few years ago a slew of ad campaigns against and for HFCS invaded American television broadcasting. I was not aware of the positives of the negatives of high fructose corn syrup, and honestly didn’t even know what it was. The advertisements started my line of questioning. After reading part on of The Omnivore’s Dilemma my position on the topic of HFCS is beneficial because the production of the product allows for the development of low cost food items, due to the American government subsidies to corn production. HFCS also allows for the productions of a variety of many low cost food products, which sustain American farmers business with the use of subsidizes. Although many argue HFCS is less health than other types of sweeteners that cost more to produce, research has shown that high fructose corn syrup is chemically similar to table sugar. (Insert Cite) High fructose corn syrup is created when the “molecular composition of glucose and convert it to fructose” (oukosher., 2012). Essentially it’s a process that combines one glucose molecule with one fructose molecule...
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...Add page numbers. HFCS: A sweetener with an unhealthy aftertaste Donna Hill-Spence Devry University High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has recently received considerable media attention for its negative impacts on consumers’ health. Most investigators and nutritionists believe that the increase in obesity in the United States has paralleled the increasing use of HFCS. Current soft drinks and many other foods are sweetened with this product because it is inexpensive and has useful manufacturing properties. All of these reasons directly benefits the food companies, but are causing body damage and metabolic diseases for the consumers. Even though the corn lobby is trying to prove that HFCS is nearly similar to regular sugar, this is not true. HFCS is high in fructose (55%-72% fructose and 45%-28% glucose) citation needed for these statistics. that is bad for our health. It is so ubiquitous in processed foods and so over-consumed by the average American that many experts believe our nation faces the prospect of an epidemic of metabolic disease in the future, related in significant degree to excess consumption of high-fructose corn syrup. The fact that HFCS is a highly and overly processed unhealthy sugar that is also linked to obesity and other cardiovascular diseases should cause great alarm in all American consumers. First of all, HFCS is very different from regular table sugar. It is a highly processed sweetener that is bad for our health. If you ever tasted cornstarch...
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